Stay Afloat
by juwalia
Summary: College is hard. College is confusing. It's failing assignments, getting your heartbroken, late nights, and mental breakdowns. Roxas knew this, and thought he was ready, but is he really? With amazing friends and a strong will, can he make it or will he end up drowning? AU. Multiple pairings.
1. Hello, Goodbye

**Hey y'all ! The first chapter is (self admittedly) the longest and least eventful of this entire fic, but that's the way it's gotta be done. However, when you get to the next chapters you'll see it's way more eventful and short and AWESOME. If you honestly don't feel like finishing the first chapter I won't be sad, I'll put a tldr at the end. Happy reading!**

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Roxas had never liked saying goodbye, he wasn't good at it. Saying goodbye was usually awkward, you never know when to walk away, if you're supposed to hug or shake hands, and don't even get him started on when you say goodbye then walk the same way. Usually he just avoided it, like at the end of his first playdate in the second grade, Roxas walked out the front door without saying a word, and every family which ends with him slipping out unnoticed. But this was a goodbye he had to say, much to his displeasure.

Roxas' parents looked at him with tear filled eyes, but their warm smiles showed that they were not entirely sad. Roxas smiled awkwardly under their heavy stares, shifting his weight to the other foot, waiting for the silence to be broken. The late August sun beat down on them, and Roxas felt his discomfort growing like a pit in his stomach. Thankfully, his mom spoke first.

"Oh, we're so proud of you, Rox!" she said. She gave his shoulder a loving squeeze. His dad looked at his mom, putting an arm around her, then turning his intense blue gaze back to Roxas. His father's eyes were usually steely and his thoughts were kept under lock and key, but for once Roxas could read the multitude of emotion his father hid so well.

"Your mother is right, Roxas, this is going to be a great new beginning for you," he added. Roxas's smile wavered, he grew tired of "new beginnings" and "fresh starts" months ago.

"Thanks guys. I'm excited," Roxas replied, hoping he was convincing enough. His mother's smile dropped just enough to know that she read him like a book. Roxas's forced smile twitched and he thought, _here it comes._

"You know Rox, having a bad attitude won't make you have a good time," she scolded, looking more concerned than annoyed. Roxas rolled his eyes.

"Mom. Please not now," Roxas begged, sounding exasperated already. He didn't know how in the world she never got tired of ragging about "positive attitudes" and "the law of attraction" because he got sick of it after the tenth time.

"Tif, let's not get back into that," his dad insisted, coming to Roxas' rescue. Tifa looked at her husband, brushing her long brown hair behind her ear. She smiled sheepishly at him, then back at Roxas.

"You're right, Cloud," she said while giving the hand resting on her shoulder a soft pat. She then reached and held Roxas's hand in both of her own. "I'm sorry, Rox. I just want the best for you! I'm not the best at goodbyes," she said softly. Her striking violet eyes looked so sad that Roxas couldn't hold a grudge.

Roxas put his free hand on top of his mother's, smiling genuinely at her. He knew that she really did just want him to be happy, even if she could be a bit overbearing about it. "It's okay," he said. Roxas smirked a little and continued on saying "Since I'm _so_ excited for this fresh start, I think I'm going to take my super positive attitude and make some friends now."

Tifa laughed and stuck her tongue out at him, while Cloud shook his head with a soft smile on his lips. "Always the jokester," Cloud said as he ruffled his sons startling blond hair that stood straight off of his head. Normally, that would annoy Roxas to no end, but he let it slide this time knowing he won't see them for the next three months.

"That's me," Roxas replied. With that, Roxas embraced his mother. Tifa had the body of a long-time boxer, lean with defined muscles, but she still felt soft and warm to him. Roxas couldn't help but smell her lightly, some part of him wanting to remember her lavender scent. They let go of each other, and Tifa kissed Roxas tenderly on the cheek clearly holding back tears. Roxas then turned to his father, not sure whether to hug or not. Cloud made the decision and pulled Roxas into a tight squeeze. It wasn't often that Roxas and Cloud hugged or showed much affection for that matter, it wasn't really his father's nature. Roxas treasured this hug most of all, even if Cloud's hard muscled body held Roxas a little too tightly. Roxas disengaged himself from Cloud, smiling despite the mess of knots in his stomach from the idea of being alone for the first time.

"Goodbye Mom, bye Dad. I love you both, thanks for everything," he said. Tifa cried freely now, her goodbye barely audible. Cloud comforted Tifa, and said goodbye to Roxas with a smile on his face. And then they got into Cloud's obnoxiously large Ford truck and drove away. Roxas watched them until they were completely gone from view.

Roxas turned around, facing his dorm buidling alone for the first time. _Well,_ he thought, _might as well go back to my room…and Ienzo'z room._ Roxas sighed, walking through the front doors of his building. He felt a little bad for already disliking Ienzo, but that kid did not give a good first impression. Roxas had never felt like he was intruding on someone's private space like that before in his life.

His new home was pretty decent, he had to admit. The building, DeFredenburgh Hall, was recently renovated and was super clean. The main lobby was nice, with a help desk where RAs would sit, couches for lounging, and even a TV area with vending machines. Dozens of new students like Roxas milled around the halls. Some had their parents with them still, and others were clinging to the roommates they just met like life preservers. Roxas tried to picture himself and Ienzo in their place, but he just couldn't.

Roxas climbed up the three flights of stairs and hung a right towards his room. The hallway was loud and crowded with not only families, but luggage and boxes. Everyone seemed to be buzzing around and bouncing from room to room, every door was wide open! Roxas couldn't help but peek into rooms as he walked by, trying to get a glimpse at his new neighbors. Everyone seemed pretty ordinary, but one girl in particular stuck out to him. She was hunched over shoving clothes from a suitcase into her set of drawers, but she looked so cute anyway. Her platinum blond hair was pulled into a high ponytail, but her plush bangs still framed her face. At the last moment, her eyes flicked to the door as if on command and Roxas felt his breath catch. Her eyes were gorgeous, a deep blue like he's never seen before. She smiled soflty at him, her baby pink lips looking so innocent and sweet. Roxas smiled shyly in return and approached his own room.

His door was the only one in the entire hallway that was shut, but Roxas knew Ienzo was in there. Roxas got himself ready to socialize with Ienzo and opened the door. The two sides of the room were polar opposites. Roxas is no ball of sunshine, but he sure did seem like one compared to Ienzo. Where Roxas's side was decorated with happy pictures of family and friends, Ienzo's had music posters for some obscure bands Roxas had never even heard of. While music taste really didn't mean much, Ienzo just gave off a solemn vibe. His side was muted colors, stacks of books, with a heavy-duty gaming computer on his desk which stood in stark contrast to Roxas' light color scheme and minimalist appearance.

Ienzo, lounging on his bed, snapped his book shut when Roxas walked in. His face was pretty hard to read, but Roxas didn't get the feeling Ienzo was feeling more social this time around. Roxas moved to his own bed, not really sure how he should pass the time. He looked over his shoulder at Ienzo who was, to Roxas' surprise, still watching him. Roxas smiled quickly at Ienzo.

"So, where are you from?" Roxas asked, desperate to fill the overwhelming silence. Ienzo opened his book again, flipping gingerly through the pages.

"Radiant Gardem, it's a beautiful city with plenty of research opportunities" he said flatly. _Alright then,_ Roxas thought bitterly, _thanks for giving me a lot to work with._ At least Roxas knew now that Ienzo was more of the scholarly type if he could get so excited about conducting research.

"That's cool, I think I've gone to Radiant Garden once to visit some family. I'm from Twilight Town, it's not too far away," Roxas continued. Ienzo didn't say anything and kept reading even though his lilac hair was fully covering half of his face. Roxas frowned in annoyance, finally deciding that Ienzo was just a major asshole. "What are you majoring in?" Roxas continued, hoping to get just that little bit of information from his new roommate.

Ienzo's light blue eyes snapped to meet Roxas' own. He smirked slightly and said, "Biology. I'm in the middle of a book now though, and it's getting pretty interesting." _Conversation over,_ Roxas thought. Roxas was about to hop on his bed and turn on his PlayStation when there was knock on his door.

In the door stood two people, a boy with caramel brown hair that stood up in every direction, and a taller boy with long silver hair held up in a bun. Roxas smiled at them both, nervous about first impressions but excited to have people other than Ienzo to talk to.

The caramel haired one spoke first, his bright blue eyes exploding with energy. "Hi! Im Sora, and this is Riku," he pointed at the tall silver haired one. "We live right next door and wanted to meet our neighbors and make some friends," Sora finished.

Roxas welcomed them into the room. "I'm Roxas, it's nice to meet you both," he replied.

"I'm Ienzo," the lilac haired boy added with a genuine smile. Roxas tried not to roll his eyes at Ienzo's sudden sociability.

Sora and Riku stepped into Roxas and Ienzo's room, looking around and taking in every inch of it. Roxas almost felt a little uncomfortable when their eyes analyzed each picture and poster hanging in their room. Roxas, feeling suddenly self conscious and desperate to avert the focus from his room, asked "Doesn't it feel weird? To be all moved in?"

Sora agreed, but Riku smirked. "Honestly, no. I have dreamed of going far away for a while now, to see what else is out there," Riku said. His teal eyes met Roxas', and their intensity reminded him of his father. Sora rolled his eyes at Riku, groaning.

"Okay, Riku, we get it, you hated being on those islands, yada yada yada," Sora mocked. Riku chuckled and quipped Sora back. Roxas watched the two interact and noted how close the pair was. They were so comfortable with each other already.

"Did you guys go to high school together?" Roxas asked. Sora laughed much to Roxas' confusion.

"Go to high school togehther? We were practically born together!" Sora said lightheartedly.

"We have been friends since before I can remember," Riku added. "I can't seem to get rid of this twerp, not even in college." Sora feigned insult and playfully punched Riku on the arm. Riku snorted and punched Sora back with more force, which resulted in a small brawl in the middle of Roxas' room. Roxas smiled watching the pair, their bond was obvious even to someone who just met them. Roxas couldn't help feeling a little sad watching the two, even while meeting new friends he felt like a bit of an outcast, almost like he was intruding on their friendship. Roxas told himself to suck it up, and forced himself to smile largely and laugh a little too.

"You guys are lucky, you already have friends! I would kill to have someone from home," Roxas said, thinking of Hayner, Pence, and Olette. He wondered how they were doing, and reminded himself to call all of them later tonight and tomorrow. Sora and Riku laid off of each other and looked at Roxas. Sora was grinning, but Riku wasn't; Roxas could tell though that Riku was bemused by the slight upturn of the corner of his lips.

"Yeah, I guess so. I'm pretty eager to make new friends though," Riku said.

"Well, we're friends now Roxas so you have one less friend to worry about making!" Sora added, sounding entirely genuine. Roxas smiled largely back even if he thought that was a quick progression of things. He could already tell that Sora was the definition of a nice guy. "One of our other best friends from home is here too, just down the hall. You should come meet her, we want to say hi to her and her roommate!" Sora turned to Ienzo. "Want to come?" he asked.

Ienzo smiled but shook his head, holding up his thick book. Roxas finally got a glimpse at its cover which read 'Unraveling the Double Helix.' _He really is a biology nerd,_ Roxas thought. "Thanks, but no thanks. I have quite a bit of reading to do," Ienzo said.

Roxas followed Sora and Riku from his room to another room that was diagonally across the hall from his own. Sora walked in first, followed by Riku, and Roxas went in last. The room was totally a girl's doing. There were string lights around each bed and the window frame, and there were small succulents soaking in the sun on the windowsill. There were plenty of pictures on the wall, and even beautiful drawings and paintings adorning the wall on one side of the room. The girl whose decoration was mainly posters and pictures from home was really cute with auburn hair like he hadn't seen before. She beamed brightly as soon as she saw Sora walk in, and Roxas knew immediately that this girl was Sora's friend from home. Roxas made eye contact with the other girl, he hoped that his cheeks weren't as red as they felt. She was the blond-haired beauty that he saw earlier, and the fact that she was the maker of all the artwork made his stomach flutter.

"Sora, Riku!" the auburn-haired girl shouted, enveloping Riku and Sora in hugs. Her arms lingered around Sora for a moment longer than with Riku, and Roxas wondered if this girl was more than a friend to Sora. She then smiled at Roxas. "Oh! I'm sorry for not introducing myself first, I'm Kairi." The girl, named Kairi, then waved her hand at the blond girl who was leaning on her bed. "And this is my roommate Naminé. Isn't her artwork just so amazing?!" Kairi said. Naminé smiled, her cheeks turning bright red.

"Kairi, you're way too nice," she said. Her voice was just as soft and sweet as her looks, and Roxas couldn't help but grin stupidly. She looked at Roxas and her cheeks burned brighter. "It's really nice to meet you all," she said. Naminé pointed at Sora and Riku and continued saying, "I already know who you all are, but what's your name?" She said, now pointing at Roxas. His stomach only clenched tighter now, but pleasurably.

"I'm Roxas," he said with a smile. After introductions and the obligatory Q&A session for meeting new people in college, they all sat around and talked in the room. Sora, Kairi, and Riku had an obvious bond and they all joked together freely and loudly. Roxas and Naminé were both still getting their bearings around the trio, and clung together quite naturally. During lulls in the group conversation, Naminé showed them her art, but Roxas was definitely more interested than the rest of them. Her subject matter was kind of macabre, everybody looked like they were in pain. The colors of each painting and drawing were dark, fitting their creepy mood. Roxas still really loved looking at each one, and it was clear Naminé enjoyed sharing her work with someone who genuinely cared.

Sora was the first to point out the time. 6:46. Somehow, they managed to spend an hour and a half just chatting, and Roxas didn't even notice how hungry he had become. They decided to go eat together so they could all learn how to use their dining hall cards as a group and continue their conversations. They left DeFredenburgh hall and Sora led the group one way, while Riku tried leading the group in another direction. Soon, they started bickering so badly that Kairi had to step in, leaving Roxas and Naminé to watch in wonder.

"They're just too funny huh?" Naminé asked, with an amused look on her face. Roxas turned and looked at her, marveling at her beauty.

"Yeah, they are. It's almost kind of intimidating trying to be their friend," he admitted, turning his attention back to Sora, Riku, and Kairi making fools of themselves. Naminé didn't answer immediately, and Roxas felt stupid for opening up like that.

"True that," she said finally. Roxas felt even more stupid now, until she continued speaking. "They come off strong because they've known eachother forever, but Kairi is already so nice to me, she treats me like we've been friends forever. I can tell that all of us are going to be great friends." Roxas felt tension in his shoulder dissipate that he didn't even know he had.

"I sure hope so!" he affirmed. Naminé giggled lightly, and caught the attention of the crew to tell them that Riku was the one going in the right direction. Sora huffed and purposely hung around the back of the pack near Roxas. It was pretty obvious to Roxas that being outsmarted by Riku happened to Sora a lot, and that he didn't particularly like it.

Finally, they made it to the closest dining hall on campus. It was a large building with the word "Brubacher Dining Hall" in stately letters above the glass doors. The actual dining area was upstairs, and the downstairs was clearly a place to eat to go food because of the large number of tables around the room. Sora's eyes lit up walking around the dining hall, he was loving every minute of his new college lifestyle.

The real wonder began once they got up the stairs and got to explore their options. The hall was buzzing with students and most tables were full, with only a couple of booths open. Roxas found himself mulling the options with Riku. While the food all smelled decent, most of it looked like cheap frozen food. Roxas eventually decided on a salad, since he was trying to be healthy anyway. Riku stood behind him in line, and they chatted lightheartedly about how hard the rest of the year was going to be if they couldn't bear the idea of eating anything other than salads on the first night.

After getting his food, Roxas, followed by Riku, joined Sora, Kairi, and Naminé in a booth right in the middle of the dining hall. Roxas couldn't believe how small he felt, even though he was with new friends. There were hordes of people swarming in and out of the dining hall and occupying all the tables around him, it seemed like Roxas was swimming in a sea of unfamiliar faces and voices. Despite being with the whole gang, he couldn't help but sense that he was still alone. He tried his best to push his thoughts away and focus on eating and joining the conversation, but that was easier said than done.

Roxas was snapped out of his trance by Kairi. "Roxas?" She called, sounding a mix of playful and concerned. Roxas laughed awkwardly, noticing that all of their eyes were trained intently on him. Kairi probably called his name a few times, and he didn't even notice!

"Sorry," he stammered. "I was just thinking about my parents," he lied. Everyone nodded in agreeance, even Riku, so Roxas was glad they bought that load of bull. "Were you saying something?"

"Yes! Riku was just telling us about this party tonight, and I was asking if you were interested," Kairi replied happily. _A party already,_ Roxas thought. He wasn't super into parties in high school, but everyone told him college is the time to let loose. Besides, it's probably more important to go to parties in college to make friends than in high school, so Roxas tried to get comfortable with the idea.

"The lacrosse house is throwing it with some field hockey girls. One of my friends from home is a sophomore on the team and he said he could get us in. I think it would be a good way to start the year…and get your mind off of your parents," Riku said, getting more teasing towards the end of his sentence.

Roxas laughed sarcastically and said, "Damn, Riku, you're so funny!" Riku rolled his eyes playfully at that. "But that sounds like it would be fun. What time does it start?" Roxas asked. He had no genuine interest in going, but he had to do what he had to do! His mom's voice popped into his head, talking about positive attitudes and being a go getter.

"11, so I think we should pregame around 10, then leave around 10:45. It's not a far walk from campus," Riku answered. Roxas nodded, and said a bunch of crap to make it seem like he was excited.

Sora and Riku were already getting into the logistics of finding alcohol. Apparently, Sora's parents gave him a handle of vodka to start off the year, and Riku had a shitty fake ID that might work in some corner store. Kairi and Naminé were talking excitedly about what they were going to wear later that night. All he got from their conversation as crop tops, bralettes, and skimpy daisy dukes. Roxas had to admit, he was really looking forward to seeing Naminé's outfit for the party. Roxas's thoughts then drifted to what he would wear that night, and what the party would be like. He had some cool clothes he guessed, nothing flashy or cute that would make him stand out. The party would probably be okay, Roxas had never gotten truly wasted before. He drank here and there, but never to excess. Honestly, the idea of getting hammered for the first time at Winter Fern College was more scary than exciting, but it would have to happen eventually. Maybe he would have a lot of fun, maybe he wouldn't drink, maybe he would get so drunk he wouldn't remember anything. Roxas bit his lip, fighting the warring emotions and thoughts ravaging him internally, and tried to focus on forcing sad forkfuls of salad down his throat.

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 **Yay! You finished the first chapter (or skipped ahead). Here's a little**

 **summary for ya if you didn't read it all: Roxas doesn't like his roommate Ienzo, meets Sora and Riku who introduces him to Kairi and Naminé, Roxas highkey has the gods for Nami, they go out to dinner, Riku invites them to a party tonight but Rox doesn't really wanna go and so he wallows in misery while eating a salad. The end.**


	2. The Party

What to wear? Roxas sifted through his drawers, finding nothing. Everything seemed a little too 'straight edge' for his first college party, but then again, he had no idea what he was talking about. Roxas picked out a pair of khaki colored shorts then moved to his closet when he found the perfect shirt. He just unpacked it that day, but he always forgets about it. It was a Hawaiian style shirt with colorful macaw birds.

"Perfect," Roxas said to himself since he was alone. Ienzo had mysteriously disappeared by the time Roxas got back from dinner, not that Roxas minded. He couldn't imagine Ienzo going out to a party, but he was definitely with friends doing something. Whatever, Roxas couldn't care less.

Roxas quickly changed his clothes as it was approaching 10 and he had to get to Sora and Riku's room to pregame before the party. He slipped on his red high-topped vans and admired his outfit in the mirror. _Well, this looked a lot better in my head_ , Roxas thought. Roxas felt like he looked too flashy, especially with a shirt with god damn macaws on it. Sadly, that was the only outfit he had, so Roxas had to suck it up and focus instead on trying to have a good time at the party tonight.

Roxas left his room feeling the nerves grow in his stomach. He had never gotten truly drunk before, and he had never gone to a party. _God, tonight just might kill me._ Roxas knocked on the door right next to his, and Riku opened the door. The silver haired boy smiled, his teal eyes revealing just how excited he was for the night. Roxas entered to room and realized, much to his surprise, that Kairi and Naminé were already there.

Kairi's auburn hair was pulled back in two dutch braids and her makeup was done well. She wore a low-cut top, high-waisted booty shorts, and sandals. Kairi looked pretty, but Roxas honestly didn't focus on her because of Naminé. Her light blond hair flowed freely now with slight curls in it, and her makeup was incredibly subtle. Her top was a knit flower design and her baby blue bralette showed through the gaps of the weave. Her dark blue shorts contrasted greatly against her skin, and her tan avarcas were effortlessly stylish. She was absolutely breathtaking, and Roxas felt suddenly more self-conscious in his Hawaiian shirt and bright red shoes. _I'm so DUMB._

"Now that we're all here, let's start. Shots, anyone?" Riku asked, his voice impossibly smooth. Sora jumped up eagerly from his bed.

"Um, YES!" he exclaimed. Kairi and Naminé laughed, and Roxas felt like, well, like a noob. He had taken shots before, but they were so gross that he gagged and made faces the whole time. He really wasn't ready to look like an idiot in front of all of his new, and only, friends.

"Sure, why not," Roxas added, without enthusiasm. Riku began setting up shot glasses on his and Sora's pull-out dressers that they fashioned into a makeshift table. Their room was pretty minimally decorated. Riku's side had a lot of greys and dull earth tones, which somehow went together well. His walls had a few posters, one for some rap group and another of some foreign country Roxas didn't recognize. Sora's side was pretty bright. His color scheme was more blues and light green, and he had tons of surfing and beach posters adorning his wall. Once Riku was done pouring out cheap vodka into each shot glass, the gathered around the 'table.'

"Alright guys, on the count of three," Kairi said with a playful glint in her eyes. She made eye contact with everybody and picked up her shot glass. "One…" Roxas grabbed his glass, already feeling the vodka burning down his throat. "Two…" They all raised the shot glasses close to their mouths. Roxas made eye contact with Naminé from across the table and she smiled at him. "Three!" Down the hatch.

Roxas wasn't sure if he just sucked at taking shots or if he just hated the taste of alcohol. Either way, that freaking SUCKED. Immediately his face puckered and he tried to fight the feeling that he was going to throw up. God, that shit burned. Instant. Regret.

Naminé's soft laughter filled the room and all of their attention was cast to Roxas's obvious pain. "Here Rox, this will make the taste go away," she said, handing him a small bottle of orange juice. He grabbed it and took a few big gulps thankful to get rid of the taste. Roxas chuckled awkwardly and smiled at Naminé.

"Thanks, I guess I'm not really used to drinking," he said, his cheeks turning red. Sora laughed hard at that for some reason, and clapped Roxas on the shoulder.

"Well, that sure is going to change with us!" Sora said. _Great_. _Rest in peace liver, it was nice knowing you,_ Roxas thought. After that, they drank more, and more, and more. They took two more shots, maybe three, or four, honestly Roxas just couldn't remember. All Roxas knew was that he felt different. Good different. Carefree different.

"Awwright guys, I think w-we should go now," Sora stammered. Sora drank more than anybody, and his goofy smile showed just how much it was affecting him. The group agreed and they left the room, but not before Riku filled up a flask with more of that cheap vodka.

Together they stumbled down the stairs, loudly talking, laughing, and enjoying themselves. Roxas found himself walking next to Naminé, who had quite a few drinks herself. The gang practically fell through the front doors of DeFredenburgh Hall, and Riku took it upon himself to lead them to the party.

The late summer night was chilly, hinting at the coming of fall. The sky was dark, but the stars were barely visible from the city lights just outside of campus. Roxas peeked over at Naminé and noticed that she was the only silent one in the group. Roxas took a deep breath and told himself to push through the fog and put his sober hat on.

"You okay?" he asked, slurring the words despite his best efforts. Naminé looked at him, plastering a giant smile on her face.

"Yup! I'm totally fine," she said.

"You know, you're soooo cute when you lie," Roxas said without thinking. He reached out and poked her arm softly, smiling at her. He felt like his smile looked goofy and big, and his cheeks felt warm from all the alcohol he just drank.

Naminé's eyes widened like saucers and her cheeks turned a light pink. "T-thanks," she stammered out. Roxas's smile instantly dropped and he shoved his hands in his pocket, instantly feeling like a complete idiot. _Good job Mr. Smooth,_ he thought sarcastically.

After a very quiet 15 minute walk between Roxas and Naminé, they reached the lacrosse house. From what he could see, the party was already in full swing. The music could be heard from outside and quickly changing colored lights could be seen from between the pulled blinds.

Riku turned around and faced the gang with a devious smile on his face and said, "Guys, let's fucking _rage_." Roxas found himself hooting alongside with Sora and Kairi. He felt excited almost. It was definitely the alcohol blurring all of his edges and worries.

Riku was the first to open the door, and the music got 10 times louder. Stepping through the threshold, Roxas was taken aback by how hot and sticky the small house was. The second most shocking thing was how little space there was to stand was. The party was crowded even before the five of them arrived, and maneuvering around the giant mass of bodies was difficult.

Roxas followed Sora who was following Riku. Riku met up with his friend, some black-haired kid Roxas never got the name of. Well, Roxas was definitely introduced to him, but it was both too loud and he was too drunk to understand. His named starte with a 'V' though, probably. Vantitias? Vantiti? Vince? Who knows? Who cares? Roxas was here to party.

And then, they started raging.

Roxas had never felt so loose before. Why the hell was he so nervous before?! He was having a blast! He busted moves like never before, even though he didn't realize half of the time when he started dancing on random girls by accidentally. He scream-sang with Sora to all the songs, Kairi and Namine danced on each other to keep guys away, and Riku was somewhere across the room making moves on some pretty girl with short black hair. Roxas' cup of beer spilled everywhere, all over himself, Sora, Kairi, and Naminé too, but they were too drunk to really care.

Somehow at some point, Sora and Kairi started dancing with each other. Roxas had no idea when that happened, but he still hyped them up.

"YES! YOU FUCKING GET IT!" Roxas screamed at them both. Kairi didn't hear him over the music, but Sora gave him a thumbs up. Roxas continued dancing and singing with the crowd and turned to face Naminé who was now dancing by herself. Roxas remembered vaguely the awkward compliment he gave her before. Before he could stop himself, he heard himself speaking.

"I'm sorry for saying you're cute," he shouted at her. Naminé furrowed her eyebrows.

"What? I can't hear you," she screamed back. Roxas got closer and brushed her hair (which was very soft) from her ear. He practically pressed his lips against her cheek and he felt his skin erupt in goosebumps from the contact.

"I'm sorry for saying you were cute earlier," he said. Naminé pulled away, looking even more puzzled than before. Her face was flushed, but he couldn't tell if it was from the insane heat of the party or because of Roxas.

"Why would you say sorry?" she asked, sounding genuinely confused. Roxas shrugged and was hit by a case of the drunk giggles.

"Becaaaauuuseeeee," he said, trailing off. Naminé raised in eyebrow, indicating that Roxas better finish up talking before she got annoyed. "You didn't like it," he finished. Naminé smiled, mostly to herself it seemed, and she shook her head.

"You're such a stupid boy," she said. For some reason, that was hilarious to Roxas. He cackled, throwing his head back. He then feigned offense to Naminé, trying to put on a show.

"Ouch! That was harsh Naminé! How am I just a stupid boy?" he asked. Naminé smiled mischievously and stepped closer to Roxas, grabbing him behind the neck. Now, Roxas was genuinely confused, shocked, and extremely happy at the sudden touch. He felt his heartbeat quicken and his cheeks burn even hotter than they did before.

"Because, you don't understand girls," she said. Then she got up on tiptoes and kissed Roxas softly right next to his mouth. His jaw dropped and he couldn't find words to say. His head felt so much foggier now, he could barely think straight. _What? The? HELL?!_ "Or what we want," Naminé continued, now kissing him on the other cheek, again right next to his lips. She pulled away and moved her hand from his neck to his bicep. A million thoughts swam through Roxas's head, and he tried to make sense of them all.

He decided to not listen to his thoughts, and just do what he wanted. So he kissed her. Roxas hoped he was doing okay, he's had a few girlfriends but kissing was always something he was self-conscious about, but the ferocity with which Naminé kissed him back reassured him. Their lips mashed together and their tongues explored each other, Roxas could taste the punch Naminé had been drinking moments ago. He felt her breath against his skin, and her nimbled fingers caressing him all over. Roxas' hands trailed down to her waist and he pulled her closer. She leaned into him, and soon they started dancing slowly against each other.

They took breaks from kissinghere and there, but still danced with their bodies intertwined. Every now and then Roxas's lips would find their way back to Naminé's. They were just so soft, he couldn't help himself.

"We should bounce now, the party is dying," Riku said, abruptly pulling Roxas out of his little heaven. Riku sounded much soberer now, but his sweaty face and flushed cheeks showed just how hard he went. Roxas looked around and was surprised to see that most of the other partiers had left.

"Good idea, let's go," Roxas affirmed.

Roxas walked home with Riku and Sora. Kairi and Naminé were huddled together, no doubt gossiping about the events of the night. Roxas felt a small punch on his arm, and turned to look at Sora.

"So…Naminé, huh?" Sora said with a wink and a cheeky grin. Riku was looking at Roxas expectantly as well, eager to hear the dirty details.

"I was _not_ expectating any of that," Roxas said, letting the tone of his voice do all the talking. He gave Sora a devilish look now. "Kairi?" he asked. Sora's cheeks turned a deep red and he smiled sheepishly.

"Yeah! Kind of like a dream come true, ya know? I didn't think that would happen, especially at a party," he said. Now it was Riku who laughed. Sora turned and glared at him. "Whats so funny?" he demanded.

"Sora, anybody with eyes could have seen that coming from miles away. You guys have been grossly flirting since like, the third grade," Riku replied. All three of them laughed, causing Kairi and Naminé to turn around.

"What's so funny?" Kairi asked, her eyes narrowed.

"Oh, it's nothing to worry about, Mrs. Sora Gainsborough," Roxas said, holding back laughter. Riku erupted in laughter and even Naminé joined in, though she tried to hide it. Kairi's jaw dropped slightly and she blushed deeply before huffing and turning around.

"Good one, dude," Riku said.

"Well, since you guys are trying to come at my neck, who was that black-haired girl, Riku? We didn't see you _all_ night," Sora asked, a slight edge in his tone. Riku rolled his eyes and shoved Sora lightly.

"Her name is Xion, she's a first year too. I ran into her at the keg and we got to talking," he answered. Sora chortled.

"Looks like you guys got around to much more than just talking," he said, pointing out the dark hickeys all over Riku's neck. Instinctively, Riku went to cover the marks, but there were too many to hide.

When they finally reached DeFredenburgh hall's third floor, Kairi and Naminé were the first to go. Roxas stopped at their door with Naminé, not sure whether or not it was appropriate to kiss her, to hug her, or just to say goodnight. Naminé decided for him, kissing him on the cheek again and shutting her bedroom door with a soft smile. Immediately, he heard the girls burst into giggles behind the door.

Roxas reached his own room, way too ready to get into bed. His body was sore, his entire body was covered in sweat, and he just wanted to think about his night with Naminé. When he opened the door though, he saw, much to his dismay that Ienzo had friends over even though it was 1:30 in the morning. One of the guests had blonde hair with two long strands clipped back on the top. Her electric blue eyes and sneer didn't make Roxas feel welcome in his own room. The other was tall and lanky with medium-length red spiky hair. His teal eyes were much friendly, and he smiled at Roxas.

"So, you're the roommate. I'm Axel," the redhead said.

 _So much for sleep,_ Roxas thought bitterly.

* * *

 **I hope you enjoy chapter 2! It's much shorter than the first, and a lot more interesting too. Please read and review what y'all think :)**


	3. Coffee Cures Everything

"Yup. I'm the roommate. I prefer going by Roxas though," he replied, not even bothering to hide the edge in his voice. The blonde bitch laughed and it sounded acidic.

"Little baby face has attitude huh? You only said he doesn't know when to shut up," the blond said. _Baby face? Doesn't know when to shut up? The fuck?!_ Roxas thought, bewildered.

"If you want to call me baby face then get out of my room," Roxas said angrily. It wasn't often that he couldn't control his temper, but nothing got on his nerves more than people telling him he looked young.

"Oh, don't get worked up Roxas. She's only kidding," Ienzo said calmly, clearly trying to diffuse the situation.

"Yeah, Larx has a nasty mouth, she barks louder than she bites," Axel added, looking somewhat apologetic. Roxas huffed and walked to his closet, not bothering to give them the time of day…or night anymore. He gathered his towel and shower caddy and practically stomped to the bathroom. He had to get the grime off of him and calm down.

"They better be out of my fucking room," Roxas grumbled to himself in the steaming shower. The water was so hot that it stung, but that's how he liked it. As he washed himself, the red-hot anger he had felt just moments ago gave way to the extreme temperature of the water beating down on him. He felt much more relaxed and he recapped his first day. All he had to say about it was…damn. He already made out with a girl, but not just any girl, it was Naminé. He only met her like 8 hours ago, but she really interested him. She was artistic, stylish, beautiful, and undeniably kind. Roxas smiled and thought about what tomorrow could be like between them.

Roxas shut off the water, wrapped his towel around his waist, and opened the curtain, not surprised that the bathroom was full of steam. He returned to his room to see that 'Larx' and Axel had left and Ienzo was already in bed.

By the time Roxas got into bed it was approaching 2:30, and when his head hit the pillow he couldn't even remember falling asleep.

….

Roxas felt like shit. His head was pounding when he woke up and his mouth was so dry that his lips stuck together slightly. He groaned and rolled over, catching sight of his roommate. Ienzo was still knocked out, snoring lightly. He looked a lot less critical and smug when he was dead asleep, Roxas noted Roxas glared at the light streaming through the window, cursing the morning back to hell. He fumbled for his phone and checked the time. **10:55.** So late, but it feels so early. Roxas put his phone down and closed his eyes once more when his phone vibrated. He checked it and his stomachs flipped.

 **One (1) New Message From: Naminé Sato**

 **Hey, u up yet?**

Roxas smiled so hard his cheeks hurt, even though the brightness of his screen made his headache pound even worse. He quickly typed back

 **Yea, but I think im a zombie lol**

He couldn't help but stare at his phones screen until Naminé texted him back.

 **Two (2) New Messages From: Naminé Sato**

 **Me and u both!**

 **Breakfast?**

Roxas' heart practically burst from his chest and he was beyond giddy. While the idea of eating right now repulsed him he was not about to miss the opportunity to spend time with her.

 **Sure! Meet in lobby in 15?**

Roxas didn't even wait for Naminé to answer before he jumped out of bed and ran to brush his teeth and take a leak. He looked in the bathroom mirror at himself and winced at his appearance. He looked exhausted and somehow his normally bright blond hair seemed dull and messy. Roxas sighed and returned to his room. When he got there, he saw that Ienzo was awake and lying in bed on his phone and his lilac hair in impressive bed head form.

Roxas threw on a striped shirt, tan shorts, and a black pair of sneakers. He started fussing with his hair in an attempt to tame it when Ienzo started speaking.

"Hey, I'm uh sorry about Larxene last night…She doesn't really know when to shut up," he said awkwardly. Roxas wasn't sure how to feel. He guessed it wasn't really Ienzo's fault if Larxene was a bitch, but she was still his friend and Ienzo had her over.

Roxas sighed turning to Ienzo with a halfhearted smile. "It's alright, not your fault if she's bitchy," Roxas said with a smirk. Surprisngly, Ienzo laughed.

"I've known her and Axel forever, she's always been a bit on the…catty side," he said. Roxas smile genuinely at that, liking Ienzo a bit more now. Roxas looked at the clock and realized he had to meet Naminé downstairs three minutes ago. Roxas was overcome with a rush of adrenaline and kicked himself internally for being late.

"Sorry to cut this short Ienzo, but I was supposed to meet someone and I'm late!" Roxas said on his way out the door. He skipped steps on the way down and entered the lobby to find Naminé sitting on her phone at the front desk. She looked over and beamed at him.

"Somebody's late," she teased. Roxas held his hand to his chest in faux shock and together they walked out the front doors.

"Yeah, yeah whatever Nam," he replied. They chatted lightly as the followed the tree lined path to the dining hall. Winter Fern had a beautiful campus that emphasized greenery and nature. The college was located in the middle of a city so the campus was like an oasis of verdure. There were small wooded areas all over campus and all the gardens were meticulously cared for. The beauty of the campus and its fresh flowery smell is what attracted Roxas to the school the most.

When they reached the dining hall, Roxas still couldn't stomach the idea of eating food yet. He was too hungover for that, and honestly even just smelling the food made his stomach flip. Instead, Roxas poured himself a tall mug of coffee and kept it black. He sat in the same booth from last night and waited for Naminé to join him. Roxas sipped his steaming hot coffee when Naminé slid into the seat across from him. He gulped down the coffee ignoring the burn, and smiled at her. She smiled softly back and took a bite of her bagel.

"Not eating huh?" she asked. Roxas shook his head.

"Too hungover for that," he replied. Naminé laughed genuinely at that.

"Yeah, we were all so drunk last night," she added. She took another giant bite of her bagel while looking at Roxas with a mischievous glint in her eyes. "Everybody got a little lucky too," she eventually added. Roxas felt a blush creep up his face and sipped his coffee again in a sad attempt to hide it.

"Ah, yeah, you're right," Roxas said chuckling awkwardly. Naminé really laughed now and Rox had no idea what was so funny. He shifted uncomfortably in his seat while Naminé stifled her laughter.

"You're so clueless and cute," she said between laughs. Roxas was even more confused now and threw back another gulp of coffee.

"Uh, thanks I guess," he replied. Naminé shook her head at him, looking wildly amused.

"You have no idea when somebody hits on you."

"All my ex-girlfriends have said I'm pretty oblivious," he replied with a weak laugh. At the word 'ex-girlfriends' Naminé visibly perked up, and Roxas for once was not entirely blind to it. This time her smirked at her. "Yeah, I said ex-girlfriend _s_ , surprised?" he said, emphasizing the plural. Naminé looked flustered to say the least, but she quickly gathered her composure.

"Surprised? I'd be more surprised if you've never had a girlfriend before," she said while grinning. She played with her food a little bit and hung her head, but Roxas could see that she was blushing brightly now. "I mean I barely know you, but I can tell you're a great person," she mumbled. Roxas couldn't help but smile ear to ear, and his insides went absolutely nuts. His pounding heartbeat was loud in his ears as he reached out to touch her hand lightly.

"Thanks, Nam. You're pretty amazing yourself," he said. The blonde looked up from her food, her cheeks flushed and her eyes wide as saucers. She laced her nimble fingers in between Roxas's own. "I can't wait to keep getting to know you," he finished. His companion smiled brightly.

"Me too," she said softly, gazing into his eyes. Roxas' stomach did flips again, he hadn't felt this way about someone in a while. Not that he was entirely sure what the feelings were, but still. Roxas gave her fingers a quick tight squeeze then wrapped his hands around his hot coffee once more.

"So, what are we then?" she asked quietly. Roxas raised his eyebrows, not expecting that question. They definitely had something, but he didn't think that they were labeling anything yet after just a day. Roxas shrugged, and smiled apologetically.

"Honestly, I don't know. But that's okay! We're just people getting to know each other still," he affirmed. Thankfully, Naminé didn't seem upset.

"You're right! And in the spirit of getting to know you, why don't we play a nice little game of 20 questions," she said playfully. Roxas snorted and leaned back against the cushion of the booth.

"Not a bad idea, I'll start! Who's your favorite band?"

"Wilco. You?" She said without even pausing to think. Roxas wasn't surprised that she liked Wilco. They were good, but not exactly his genre.

"Cage the Elephant, Arcade Fire, The Strokes. Just to name a few," he answered.

"You can never go wrong with the Strokes," she affirmed. "What's your favorite movie?" Naminé asked.

"That's easy! Pulp Fiction, all day, every day," he said. Nami grinned and got all giddy.

"Really?! Me too! I love Tarantino movies," she gushed. And with that, their game of 20 questions dissolved into a Quentin Tarantino fangirl session.

Roxas lost track of the time until Naminé checked her phone and gasped loudly.

"Oh shit!" Naminé exclaimed, looking a little scared. Roxas furrowed his brows.

"What?" he asked. Naminé looked at him, her beautiful smile now forced into a worried frown.

"Kairi and I had plans to go explore the town and figure out the bus system around here, but I totally forgot! We were supposed to meet like thirty minutes ago, oh god I'm so STUPID!" Roxas looked at his own phone and nearly choked. It was 1:30! They had sat there talking for two whole hours! Roxas turned his attention back to the frantic Naminé, who was clearly shitting her pants about upsetting Kairi.

"Look, I doubt Kairi will be that mad if you call her and go find her right now," Roxas comforted.

"You're right," Naminé said, still looking worried. She stood up and picked up her plates and cup. She smiled at Roxas. "I'm so sorry to cut this short, Rox. It was nice though!" she said already speed walking away.

Roxas smiled back at where Naminé was only moments before. He slumped back into the booth. Now what to do with himself? Roxas decided now was a good time to catch up with some of his friends from home, and his mom too.

He grabbed his mug and walked to the exit of the dining hall and put it on the conveyor belt for plates. He bounded down the steps of Brubacher Dining Hall, fishing his phone of out of his pocket trying to decide who he should call first. Roxas stepped out of the building and decided to explore campus a bit, so he followed the pathway that lead to the campus quad. He was about to call his mom, when his name being called stopped his tracks.

"Hey! Roxas, right?" the voice yelled from the steps of another residence hall along the path. Roxas turned to see who the hell would be talking to him, and he was surprised to find it was the redhead from the night before.

"Axel?"

* * *

 **Chapter 3 finally! Let me know what you guys think in the comments :) Do you prefer RokuNami or AkuRoku?**


	4. Homesickness Is a Bitch

Axel stood from the steps and sauntered over to Roxas, a smile on his face. Roxas didn't know how to feel about Axel yet after the events of last night, but he decided to give the red head the benefit of the doubt, so he smiled back lightly.

"Hey, you look a lot less grumpy now," Axel said when he finally approached Roxas. The tall and lanky Axel was clearly a few years older than Roxas, and his smile oozed cockiness. Roxas rolled his eyes, though he wasn't entirely annoyed.

"Yeah well there's not strangers insulting me in my room at 1 in the morning, so," Roxas retorted. Axel threw his head back and laughed.

"Larxene really has a knack for ruining people's nights," he said when his laughter settled.

"So I've heard. But did you want something? I had to go make a call," Roxas said. He wasn't jumping to end the conversation per se, but he also did not feel any sort of desire to talk to the red head.

"Not really, I just wanted to apologize for last night again. I'm not nearly as mean as Larx," Axel said, his tone playful towards the end. Roxas smiled genuinely this time.

"Thanks, that means a lot. I have to go now though, so I'll see you around," Roxas said, waving slightly. Axel nodded back and started down the path to Brubacher Hall. Roxas continued walking down to the campus quad. He really appreciated that Axel apologized again, and he decided that maybe Ienzo's friend wasn't too bad.

When Roxas finally made it to the campus center, he immediately felt peaceful. The quad was the most beautiful out of all the schools he visited. There were academic buildings surrounding the quad's outer edge, and tan colored pathways crisscrossing the area. The meticulously maintained green lawn had large maple, oak, and birch trees, and some students already set up hammocks between them to lounge lazily in the afternoon shade. The garden beds were full of colorful flowers and bushes, and squirrels dashed around from tree to tree. The best part of the quad was definitely the pond at the center. A family of ducks swam in the center and goldfish and koi could be seen just under the surface. Roxas chose to sit on a large rock next to the pond to make it calls because not only was it the most scenic, but it was the farthest spot from the rest of the students littering the quad.

Roxas decided to call his mother first. As he expected, she picked up on the first ring.

"Rox! How are you? How was the first night? Make any friends? Hows Ienzo? Did you go out? How is- "she asked in a sudden stream of questions. Roxas cut her off abruptly, laughing at her frantic interrogation.

"Mom, one at a time," he cautioned. Tifa chuckled through the phone.

"You're right, sorry Roxas. Tell me about your first day!" she insisted. Roxas recapped his first night, deciding to leave out everything that happened with Naminé and Ienzo.

"And yeah, that was my first night. Right now, I'm just hanging out by the pond," Roxas said, finishing his story.

"Aw, I'm so glad everything went well! I wish Cloud was here to talk, but he's at work. I'll tell him to call you later, okay?" his mother said, Roxas could hear the smile in her voice. He smiled back, knowing fully well that she couldn't see him anyway.

"Sounds good, Mom. I gotta go now though, I'll talk to you soon. I love you," he replied. Tifa sniffed slightly, still in the most painful stage of empty nest syndrome.

"Alright hun, I love you too. Have fun!" She said sounding pained. Roxas ended the call and decided to call his best friend Hayner. Roxas found his contact and dialed. Unlike his mother, Hayner picked up on the last ring.

"Sup Lame-O," Hayner said in his usual mocking tone. Roxas laughed, not realizing how much he missed his oldest friend.

"Shut up, you ass," Roxas retorted. He heard Hayner _tsk_ through the phone.

"Yeah, whatever. How's the college life treating you so far?" Hayner asked. In the background Roxas heard loud rushing wind and concluded he was probably driving somewhere, to his next adventure or job maybe.

"Pretty good for the most part. My roommate kind of sucks, his friends also kind of suck, but I met a bunch of cool people last night and we went out to some lax party. I even met a girl already," he said. Hayner whistled through the phone and laughed, causing Roxas to chuckle in return.

"Already working on the ladies, huh? Wouldn't have expected that from you," Hayner teased. Roxas grabbed a pebble at the base of the rock and skipped it across the pond before answering.

"It's not like that. She's really nice," Roxas said, not sure why he felt the need to defend it to his friend. "How's the wayfaring life treating you though?" Roxas asked, changing the subject. He could easily imagine Hayner beam through the phone and puff out his chest, happy to have some spotlight.

"Fucking amazing! Right now, I'm on my way out to the Rockies to work at a climbing camp for a few months," he said. Roxas was relieved to hear things were well to say the least. When Hayner decided to withdraw his commitment to Radiant Garden City College, everyone was worried about what he would do with himself. Life on the road bouncing around was always more Hayner's speed, but making ends meet was the bigger question.

"I'm really glad to hear things are working out for ya, buddy," Roxas said.

"You too, Rox. Listen, I gotta go fill up my tank so I'll talk to you later," Hayner said. He was always jumping from one place to the next and could never talk for long. That was his best friend.

"Alright, sounds good. Peace out," Roxas said as Hayner ended the call. Roxas felt a small pit in his stomach form thinking about Hayner, his mom, and all his other friends from home. In the craziness of his first night, Roxas didn't realize how much he actually missed home already. He tried to swallow the sadness that grew inside him, but that's not such a simple solution.

Roxas sighed and slid himself from the rock. He stared at all the happy people in the quad. They were playing Frisbee, soccer, listening to music, napping in hammocks, doing anything to enjoy the beautiful weather on the day before classes. He wondered if they felt as homesick as he did, or if they just hid it well. Roxas turned down the path that lead back to DeFredenburgh Hall, dragging along the sudden sadness like a ball and chain.

Although the walk back to his dorm was beautiful, Roxas couldn't focus on it. All he could think about was how shitty he felt out of the blue. He wasn't sure what the hell was wrong with him, he rarely ever felt this way. It felt like his insides weighed a million pounds and like he couldn't get any words past the giant lump in his throat. Even just walking back to his room was difficult, and all he wanted was to throw himself into bed and sleep.

Walking through the front doors of his building he felt some relief, but not much. Just like yesterday, tons of kids were in the entrance area. Some were talking to the areas sitting at the desk and others were watching TV in the back. He felt more alone and desperate to escape. Roxas practically sprinted up the stairs, and threw open the door to his room thinking of nothing other than sleep. Sadly, Ienzo was there with the terrible, blond, bitchy, rude, and downright awful Larxene. Roxas ignored them both, took off his shoes and moved to his bed. He wouldn't sleep with them there, but he could at least put in his headphones and get out the pain with music. Larxene, unsurprisingly, wanted to rock the boat instead.

"Aw, babyface, why do you look so sad?" she asked in mock sadness. Roxas continued ignoring her, believing that if he didn't entertain her that she would stop. He didn't want to show her how much she bothered him. Clearly, Roxas barely knew Larxene because she liked a challenge.

"Larx, don't," Roxas heard Ienzo say quietly as Roxas climbed on his bed.

"Baby miss his mommy? Baby looks like he's gonna cry. Boo-hoo-hoo!" Larxene said, laughing cruelly. Roxas, still full of inexplicable sadness, suddenly felt enraged. All he wanted to do was beat her smug face in. He turned to face her. Ienzo knew what was coming and looked worried about what would go down, and Larxene's blue bug eyes were ice cold, her lips in a nasty sneer.

"GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY ROOM YOU STUPID BITCH. GET THE FUCK OUT!" Roxas screamed, louder than he intended to. His jaw clenched, his cheeks burned, his heart beating a million times in just one second. Larxene's rude expression fell into one of amusement.

"Or what?" she asked with a laugh. The laughter is what really set Roxas over the edge. He didn't realize he jumped off of his bed until he was standing right in front of Larxene, her frame smaller than he would have thought given her large personality.

"Or else I'll beat your stupid fucking face in," he hissed at her. Larxene was going to egg him on even further until Ienzo stepped between them, pushing Roxas away with a soft palm to his chest. He turned to Larxene and grabbed her arm, pulling her away from Roxas.

"Larx, let's go," he said, pulling the door open. Once he pushed Larxene out the door, Ienzo turned back to Roxas, a large and forced smile plastered on his face. "I'm really sorry, Roxas," he said. Then the door clicked shut and Roxas felt himself practically deflate.

 _God, I fucking hate her guts,_ he thought as he hopped into bed. Why the hell did she have to be so goddamn mean? How could Ienzo be _friends_ with her?! Why would he have her over _again?!_ Roxas closed his eyes, trying to catch his breath and find answers to the million questions in his head. He felt so out of control just now, so crazy, so angry. He felt so sad still, so homesick that it hurt, so frustrated that it made him anxious somehow. Why was he feeling this way?

Roxas rolled over onto his side, facing the wall. He kept picturing his mom and dad going on with their lives without him, Hayner road tripping across the country, and Olette and Pence going to school together in Traverse Town. It didn't seem fair that his friends were doing such cool things while he was here at Winter Fern, a couple hours from home, with nobody. Sora, Riku, and Kairi were already best friends. How was he supposed to fit in with them? Naminé was amazing and all, but they barely knew each other still. What if she ended up not liking him?

Roxas huffed and flipped to his other side now, staring blankly at Ienzo's side of the room where Larxene just was. Just thinking about her made him boil. He hoped he never had to see her stupid blonde hair again, even the way she pinned it back made him indescribably angry. Roxas had never hated anyone before, but he guessed that she was a good place to start.

Roxas turned over once more to lay on his back, his anger once again giving way to sadness. He still didn't know why it hit him so suddenly or so powerfully. He was homesick, but this felt like so much. It was nearly crushing him, and he didn't know what to do about it. Cry? That would be nice, but he for some reason couldn't even get tears out. It was almost as if he was too sad for that. Roxas squeezed his eyes shut and tried to just focus on his breathing.

 **BZZzzz…BZZzzz…BZZzzz!**

Roxas's eyes flew open at the sound of his phone buzzing. His room was much darker than before, and he realized that he must have fallen asleep. He grabbed his phone and saw that it was Sora who was calling. He held the phone to his ear and Sora's cheerful voice immediately began speaking.

"Hey, Rox! Whatcha up to?" he asked. Roxas rubbed his drooping eyes and yawned deeply.

"Honestly, I just woke up from a nap," he said.

"Oh damn, I'm sorry if I woke you up!" he said, sounding genuinely sorry. Roxas really appreciated Sora's sincerity.

"No, it's alright. I should be getting up anyway. Whats up?" Roxas asked. He sat up in bed, and turned on his TV. He began to aimlessly flip through the channels as Sora argued inaudibly with someone that was with him. _Probably Riku,_ Roxas thought.

"Kairi, Riku, Naminé and I are coming back from the city right now and were wondering if you wanted to meet us at the dining hall in like 15?" he asked. Roxas felt a little stab in his chest hearing that they were all without him (he didn't even get an invite!), but thankfully he wasn't as sad as earlier. Naps can really do wonders for someone.

"Yeah, sounds like a plan. See ya in a bit," Roxas said. He ended the call and scrolled through his phone. He noticed that Sora had sent him 3 texts about dinner and that Naminé sent him a snapchat about an hour ago. He clicked on it and it was a hilarious video of Sora and Riku bickering about who had the nicest hair, and at the end the camera flipped to Kairi and Naminé who were shaking their heads. Roxas couldn't help but laugh even though he wished he was there to witness it first-hand.

He sent back a video of himself shaking his head as well and rolling his eyes. He captioned it 'Typical'. Roxas jumped off of bed and went to the bathroom. As soon as he walked in he was greeted by the smell of someone who really couldn't handle their lunch, so he turned tail and went back to his room. He could piss later. Roxas slipped his shoes back on and made his way to Brubacher.

When he arrived, the crew wasn't there yet, so he sat on his phone until they arrived. Sora entered first, quite boisterously, and he was followed by the rest. Roxas stood up and smiled at his friends, and the five of them went upstairs, got their food, and sat down. For some reason, Roxas didn't feel very hungry, so he just got another mug of coffee to fight off the drowsiness that lingered from his nap.

"No food, Roxas?" Kairi asked.

"He had coffee this morning too," Naminé said, sounding lightly concerned. He smiled and felt happy that they cared enough. He shrugged and sipped at the hot coffee.

"I had a big lunch! What can I say," he joked, happy that none of them could dispute his lie since they were all in the city _without_ him. "How was the city?" he asked, hoping the slight bitterness he felt didn't show in his voice.

"It was pretty cool. Way more fast paced than Destiny Islands," Riku said.

"It was awesome! There were so many boutiques to stop in, I wish we had more time to look at some of the clothes," Kairi added.

"We saw some cool thrift and music stores too," said Namine. Sora pulled a giant chocolate chip cookie from his pocket and waved it in Roxas' face.

"Dude, there were SO many bakeries! We only got to go to one but can't you see how beautiful this thing is?" Sora said, sounding excited. Roxas couldn't help but laugh at Sora.

"Sounds like it was really fun then. I wish I could have gone with you guys," Roxas said, sticking his spoon back into is mug and swirling it around.

"I wish you did too! We stopped by your room before, but you weren't around," Sora said with a frown.

"We found Kairi and Naminé at the bus stop. Talk about an unfortunate surprise," Riku said, looking at the girls with a teasing look in his eye.

"Oh, shut up, you were so happy to see us!" Naminé said playfully back. Roxas enjoyed watching them interact. The group ate their dinner chatting gleefully about their day, and less happily about classes tomorrow. Roxas kept slurping down his coffee, not sure if he was ready for his 8 am.

Well, that's a tomorrow problem.

* * *

 **I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! I had a lot of fun writing it. I'm so excited to start writing about his classes, as a college student I think I'll really be able to portray the deep pain that comes with sitting through classes lmao.**

 **Who is your favorite KH character? Let me know in the comments!**

 **Mine always has been and always will be Roxas. My slightly angsty bb :') 3 luh u 4ever boo**


	5. First Day

**BZZzzzBZZzzzBZZzzz**

Roxas' lazy hand slammed on his phone desperately seeking the snooze button. Within seconds the blaring alarm was forgotten as he drifted back into sleep.

 **BZZzzzBZZzzzBZZzzz**

Just five more minutes.

 **BZZzzzBZZzzzBZZzzz**

 _Fucking FINE._ Roxas scowled as he opened his eyes and finally shut his alarm off. The brightness of his home screen burnt his eyes to the point where he could barely read the time of 7:40. _FUCK._ If he didn't get up now he wouldn't make it to class on time, but Jesus Christ how was he supposed to get out of bed?! It was just so damn early. How in the hell was he supposed to do this three days a week for a whole semester?!

Roxas slid out of bed despite his entire being protesting it. He turned his Keurig on and let it fill his (sorta lame, but so reliable) paopu fruit travel mug as he threw on a white shirt to go with the navy-blue shorts he slept in. Same may call that being lazy, but in Roxas' mind it was saving time and laundry, plus the shorts looked pretty similar to anything he'd wear during the day as they reached just past his mid-thigh.

The blond teen was surprised at the number of other boys scrambling to get ready in the bathroom. It took him nearly seven minutes just to pee, brush his teeth, and to mess his hair into something that looked remotely presentable. He rushed back to his room, grabbed his coffee, slipped on socks and Birkenstocks, and practically ran out of his room. Only 8 minutes until his class all the way across campus starts. _Sprinting to North Campus sure is going to be fun,_ Roxas thought sarcastically.

When Roxas burst through the doors of his first class (flushed, out of breath, sweaty and very embarrassed), he was taken aback to see Axel sitting next to the only open seat in the room. Roxas slithered his way to the seat, happy to see that all the other kids in the room were too tired to give a shit about his dramatic entrance. Axel smiled when Roxas sat next to him.

"Well, I didn't think I'd see you this morning. This is a 200-level class and last time I checked you're just a freshman" Axel said, his expression never failing to lose its mischievous edge. Roxas took a long sip of his coffee while it was still hot before answering.

"I took some college English credit in high school. I didn't take you to be the type in an English class," Roxas replied. Axel chuckled loudly and started clicking his pen.

"Well I guess you must not know me at all then, English is my major," Axel said. Roxas was genuinely surprised to hear that. He really didn't know Axel at all, but from what he knew and could see, Axel did not seem like someone who would care about the humanities. Before Roxas could reply, the professor started his slideshow and began talking.

The professor, whose name was Xemnas, was tall and well-built with tan skin, long white hair, and peculiar orange eyes that bore right through you. His voice was deep, somewhat gravelly, and entirely uninteresting. While he was reading over the syllabus and required texts for the class, Roxas could barely fight the immense weight of his eyelids.

"Roxas."

Roxas's eyes flew open and he turned to look at Axel who called his name. When Roxas made eye contact with Axel's green ones, Axel made a bunched-up face at him and gestured his head towards the professor. Roxas then realized with a heavy gut that Xemnas was glaring at him.

"Your name?" he asked, his orange eyes looking both angry and uninterested at the same time. Roxas's palms instantly slicked with sweat and he hoped that nobody noticed the heat creeping up his cheeks.

"Roxas Strife," he said in his most steady voice. Xemnas sneered at him.

"Well Mr. Strife, if this class is already too boring for you, I have bad news for you," the professor said. His voice had no edge or malice to it, but it still filled Roxas with a plethora of strange feelings. Embarrassment, anger, and that he was the biggest idiot in the world. Roxas nodded lighting and Xemnas finally continued on with the class.

After 30 long and slow minutes of reviewing the syllabus, the required readings, and the crazy amount of composition and essays he expected the class to write, Professor Xemnas dismissed the class early. Roxas stood up in a flash and shoved his notebook and pencils back into his backpack and practically ran from the classroom.

"Hey, wait up!" A smooth voice called from behind. The small blonde stopped and turned around to see Axel catching up to him with his signature crooked smile. When the lanky red head finally caught up to Roxas, they walked side by side down the stairwell and out of the building.

"You sure do know how to make a good first impression, huh?" Axel laughed. Roxas rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, let's not talk about it," he said, still feeling residual pangs of embarrassment at the mention of his amazing first class of his college career.

"Fair enough, I'll just say that Professor Xem is a particular hard-ass, try to get back on his good side," Axel replied. Roxas looked at Axel and frowned.

"You know, Axel, you're really not making me feel better," the blonde huffed. Axel laughed and slapped Roxas's shoulder.

"You're right, I should just let you blindly walk into the storm, huh?" When Roxas didn't look amused, Axel smiled again but more apologetically this time. "Hey, you hungry? I haven't eaten yet," Axel said, changing the subject. As if on cue, Roxas' stomach grumbled loudly and Axel laughed.

"Well, I'd have to say that yeah, I'm fucking starving," he said. The duo made their way into Brubacher. Roxas really didn't notice how hungry he was, but it makes sense considering that he hadn't actually eaten food in over 24 hours. All he did was drink coffee, and he didn't know how he felt about that. Usually his appetite was something fearsome, but it had all but disappeared in the last few days.

Brubacher was especially chaotic this morning. Nearly every table was occupied, lines were impossibly long, and the chatter of the dozens of tired college kids made for some white noise. Axel made a beeline for the waffle station and Roxas weighed his options. There was just SO MUCH! He decided on a bagel and a bowl of melon and strawberries. Roxas spotted Axel's fiery hair towards the back corner of Brubacher, close to the windows and far away from most other people. By the time Roxas sat down, the redhead was already halfway through his massive waffle.

"Damn, you're really going in on that," Roxas said while biting into his bagel. Axel shoved another forkful of waffle into his already full mouth.

"What can I say, the riveting subject of English really jump starts my appetite," he said. Roxas laughed, Axel was a lot wittier than he expected. His first impressions of the older boy were not good, but now his ill feelings towards Axel had all but disappeared.

"I still can't really believe you're an English major," Roxas said between mouthfuls of melon. Axel smirked at Roxas.

"That's what everybody says. People aren't always what they seem."

"True, but you have to admit you really don't give off any bookish vibes." Axel really laughed at that.

"Mm, judging a book by its cover. I hate clichés," he said, with a faux edge in his voice.

"Fair, but I mean, the hair for one throws me, the pierced ears, you have old nail polish on, and you dress like some grunge kid from the 90s," Roxas retorted. Axel raised an eyebrow and popped a strawberry from Roxas' bowl into his mouth. Roxas' move to swat his hand away was too slow, and he resorted to glaring playfully at his companion.

"A kid can't like to read Shakespeare and dress alternatively? You must live in a sad, boring world Roxas," the redhead said. Roxas frowned, not sure if he was being teased or not.

"Well, gee I didn't really mean it that way. I'm just saying I thought you would have different interests," Roxas insisited. Axel went in for a piece of melon, but Roxas slapped him successfully this time, and the pair grinned at each other.

"I'm just teasing don't get so upset. But you're right, believe it or not I like things other than pretentious literature written by a bunch of dead guys. I'm in a band for one, me and some friends started it up last year," Axel said nonchalantly. Roxas' interest was definitely piqued at this new information; he was a music nerd and loved live music more than most things.

"Really? What're you guys called?" he asked. Axel smiled to himself and piled his empty plates and napkins up.

"Organization XIII. It's me and my friends Isa and Demyx. It's kind of an inside joke," the red-head replied.

"Catchy name. What's the story?" Roxas asked. Axel smirked at his companion and shook his head.

"An inside joke is an inside joke for a reason. Can't go telling everybody." Roxas frowned at that, a little annoyed at the red head. "Buuuuuut, if you really want to prove yourself worthy we have a show Friday night off campus. I mean, only if you really wanna know," Axel teased. Roxas grinned back at his companion.

"I can pencil it in," he replied. Axel took out his phone and slid it to Roxas.

"Put your number in, I can text you the details later. I gotta bounce in a sec, I have class," Axel said. Roxas quickly entered his contact information and noted that it was almost 10. Roxas gave Axel his phone back and accidentally brushed his hand against Axel's. Axel snapped his hand back with a sly smirk on his face. Roxas could really see himself getting close to the redhead; he was interesting to say the least.

Roxas left Brubacher a few minutes after Axel did, and he made his way back to his room. He wasn't as tired as he was before, but there didn't really seem to be much to do until his night class at 5:30. Roxas was pulled out of trying to figure out what in the hell he was going to do for the next seven hours of his life by a vibration in his pocket.

One (1) new message from: Naminé Sato

Hey, u busy?

 **No class until 5:30, you?**

One (1) new message from: Naminé Sato

I have class at 5..town?

 **That sounds great! Meet in lobby?**

One (1) new message from: Naminé Sato

Yes! See u soon

Roxas couldn't help but break into a brisk walk all the way to DeFredenburgh. He didn't care if he looked like a sweaty mess. Is this a date? Or is this just a hang out? Whatever, the nitty gritty of it all could wait because honestly, he was just looking forward to spending time with Nami. He wondered what she would be wearing today, knowing her it was something outrageously cute.

When Roxas entered his building, he bounded up the steps two at a time, unlocked his door, and immediately started digging through his drawers for something nicer to wear. He decided on some grey shorts and a white polo. Roxas looked in the mirror Ienzo had draped over the back of the door to inspect his outfit and his hair. As usual his blond hair defied gravity, and his blue eyes seemed extra bright. Roxas grinned in the mirror, shooting himself finger guns not even caring how lame he looked.

Roxas grabbed his wallet from his desk, sprayed on cologne, and checked himself one last time before leaving his room and locking the door. He made his way down to the lobby and sat at one of the couches waiting for Naminé. Mindlessly he scrolled through his phone. There were boring snapchat stories, Instagram posts begging for likes, and emotional tweets on twitter. He rarely ever uploading on anything, he preferred lurking. For one thing, he didn't feel the need to invite everybody into his life. Secondly, he rarely ever bothered going on any social media unless he was waiting somewhere with absolutely nothing to do. It was just too mindless for him.

A soft tap on his shoulder jolted Roxas out of his deep thought, and then a soft giggle entranced him.

 _Naminé._

* * *

 **I'm sorry for the super duper long wait between updates. I've been too busy to sit down and write for too long at a time, but I finally finished it! I hope y'all enjoy and let me know what you think in the reviews :)**


	6. A Date?

"Hey, stranger!" Naminé said while grinning. Roxas laughed and stood up to meet her. He playfully knocked her shoulder with a smirk.

"Don't call me a stranger, weirdo," he retorted. Naminé shook her head and then laced her arm through Roxas'. _Keep calm kid, a pretty girl is holding your arm no big deal,_ he said to himself.

The duo walked out of the double doors of DeFredenburgh and made their way to the other end of campus to the bus stop. It was mid morning now and the campus was already coming alive. Some kids skateboarded on the street and sidewalk, and bird were chirping sweet songs. The air was fresh and clean, purifying almost.

"So, you have any classes yet today?" Naminé asked, looking at Roxas. He met her large blue eyes for a second, and sighed.

"Yeah. I had an 8 am literature class, I think it'll be the death of me. You?"

"That bad, huh? And yeah, I had a drawing class at 9, it was great!" She said, barely containing her excitement.

"Yeah, I may or may not have fallen asleep and Professor McHardass already hates me. But it's whatever. And good! A drawing class sounds like it would be hard," he replied. He could imagine her taking some art classes, as the pieces she had decorating her room were amazing.

"Wow, Rox. That's….well...it can only get better from here," she said with a laugh. They finally reached the bus stop, and climbed on the bus that was already sitting there waiting. "As for my drawing class, it will be hard but it's worth it to improve."

Roxas and Naminé sat down in the back of the bus, with Roxas opting to sit closest to the window. He always has been that guy who would kill over a good seat. The bus lurched out from the curb and made its way into the city. The short buildings and the greenery of campus gave way to the busy streets and vibrant townhouses and shops in the city of Mercy.

"So, what are we going to do in town?" Roxas asked. He had never gone before, but Namine has so she knew her way much better than he did.

"Hmmm, I'm thinking of stopping into this nice coffee spot called Cafeteria that we found, and then maybe going to Riverside Park? I haven't been to the park yet, but it has to be nice!" She said and smiled at him warmly. Roxas smiled back and nodded.

"Whatever you want, it'll be fun!"

Five minutes later and they were leaping off the bus and into the center of Mercy. Mercy was a decently sized city, but it was clean and you could tell everyone had a bit of money. The dividers on the avenue were flower boxes, and the streetlamps were antique pressed iron. People on the sidewalk dressed well and bounced shop to shop. The entire vibe invigorated Roxas in ways Twilight Town never did.

"So, where to?" Roxas asked, looking at Naminé. She was lost in the thought staring at the beautiful little city, and was only brought back to reality by Roxas's voice. She smiled sheepishly.

"Oh! Sorry, I got a little distracted, this is just so different from where I'm from. But Cafeteria is just a block this way!" The walked side by side down the main avenue. The stores they passed included an Incense and Candle Store, a store called Visions of Tibet, and small restaurants.

"Where are you from?" Roxas asked. He didn't even realize he didn't know until Naminé brought it up.

"I'm from a tiny little place a few hours north of Radiant Garden called High Falls. Basically the middle of nowhere," she said with a laugh. "What about you?" Roxas eyebrows perked up, she lived really far from here!

"Wow, north of Radiant Garden? There's like nothing up there!" Roxas laughed. "I'm from Twilight Town by the way. It's not too far from here."

"Yeah, there's not much to do where I live besides hang out in the woods with friends or go swim in the river. Pretty boring, I know. But Twilight Town is nice! My grandma lives there, I haven't gone in a few years but I remember it being a cute place."

"Hey, woods and rivers are fun! I didn't have much of that growing up, but I can tell you it sounds cool! Twilight Town is alright, but there's nothing cool like here in Mercy."

They finally reached Cafeteria and walked inside. It was a large open space with what looked like a stage right at the store windows. There were some tables and chairs, but there were mostly couches and coffee tables for seating. The walls were decorated with old guitars, electric and acoustic, and records, and jazz played over the speakers. This place, to say the least, was _amazing._

"First, of all, WOW, Nami. What a find, you are a genius," Roxas gushed. Naminé looked proud, and led Roxas to the counter to order. The menu was written above the cashiers head on a fancy chalkboard with colorful lettering. The smell of coffee was overwhelming, but in a good way.

"Yeah, I know, I have amazing taste," she teased. Naminé then turned and faced the counter. "Hmmm, can I have a large americano and a croissant please?" The meek cashier nodded and Nami paid, leaving Roxas to go.

"Uhhhhhhhhhhh. Just a large coffee please, but can I have a shot of vanilla? Oh, and I'd like that turkey and brie sandwich, but to go please!"

"That will be 10.50" the cashier said. Roxas nodded and handed over the cash and change and followed Naminé to a sofa to wait for their coffee and food. The pair sat and soaked in the atmosphere until their orders were called. They both fixed up their coffees and plopped back on the couch. Namine picked up a flyer that was sitting on the coffee table before them.

"A Welcome Back Rock Showcase on friday? Oh, it's a bunch of student bands too. That sounds pretty cool, right?" Nami said, handing Roxas the flyer. It was colorful and showed a collage of the bands that would be performing. Immediately, he saw Axel's fiery red hair hunched over a guitar.

"Hey, one of my friends is in this! He invited me to come, kinda, did you want to go?" he asked. Naminé grinned at her companion.

"Yes, please! I'll see if anyone else wants to come. I've never gone to a show before."

"Me neither honestly, but it'll be good I bet." Naminé nodded, and started off a conversation about how Kairi is so totally oblivious to how much she likes Sora. Rox sunk deeper into his seat and just enjoyed listening to Naminé babble, because damn was her voice as pretty as bells.

Thirty minutes later, they were ready to go. They left Cafeteria and looked up and down the sidewalk of Mercy Ave.

"So, Riverside Park?" Roxas asked. Naminé blushed a little.

"I'll be honest, I have no idea where it is. But! If we just go towards the river then, it'll be there!" She said. He couldn't help himself but chuckle lightly.

"Not a bad idea. I haven't been here in a while, but I'm pretty sure the Edison River is over this way," he said, jabbing his thumb to the west. Naminé grabbed Roxas's hand and led him off in the direction he pointed.

"Well, whatever you say. Lets go!" She was practically skipping down the street and Roxas honestly had some trouble keeping up. Nami dragged him along, and he couldn't take his eyes away from her. Admiring her was becoming like a hobby, and he wanted to memorize his favorite parts of her. Her platinum blond hair was back in two long braids that jumped and shined with each step she took. Her skin was so pale, a milky white that seemed like it should be impossible. He couldn't see her eyes, but he knew they were probably so bright right now, so full of life. God, what a perfect human.

Before he knew it, they were at the edge of the park. Naminé dropped his hand, threw her arms in the air, and turned around to grin at Roxas.

"And we made it!" she exclaimed. Roxas now went and grabbed Naminés soft, small hand. He smiled at her and they walked side by side through the park gates.

"Yeah we did, and in record time too since you had to run all the way here!" he teased. Naminé's cheeks turned pink and she brushed wisps of baby hair from her face.

"Well I got excited, what can I say!" The two of them laughed and walked deeper into the park.

The trail was smooth cement and bounded by colorful bushes and trees on all sides. Aspens and oaks, blue birds sang and crows waddled between trees and trash cans looking for a little snack. Families played catch, and had picnics, and groups of people jogged by. The deeper they went, the prettier it got. Finally, they got a glimpse of the river, so they broke from the path and followed the view. Closer to the bank was an old swing-set overlooking the water.

"Oh, yes!" Naminé said and she scurried to the swingset, sitting in one seat. She looked back at Roxas who lagged behind and put her hand on the empty swing next to her. Naminé on that swing by the river, with the west end of Mercy and mountains in the distance was the type of view he only saw in movies.

Roxas paused and pulled out his phone and took a quick picture. It was something he wanted to remember. The picture came out nice, but it honestly paled in comparison to the real thing. He continued on and reached Naminé, taking a seat next to her.

"What was that about?" she asked. Roxas pulled his phone out once again and showed her the picture he took. The smile on her face spread ear to ear and she looked at Roxas with pure happiness radiating from her eyes.

"I wanted to remember it," he said quietly. Nami reached out and laced her fingers between Roxas' own. She gave him a squeeze and looked back out to the river, swinging lightly.

"You're too nice to me," she said. Roxas scoffed.

"I can't help it. And you act like it's a bad thing!" Naminé looked down at the ground, almost like she was trying to find the words to say in the leaves.

"It's not! I'm just...not really used to that I guess." Now it was Roxas' turn to be perplexed. He started at her, and noted the deep furrow of her brow and the sad smile on her face.

"What do you mean?"

"It's a long story."

Roxas took his other hand and placed it on top of their own hands and rubbed his thumb over Naminé's soft skin. Something was clearly bothering her, and Roxas found himself caring so much more than he thought he would.

"I like long stories," he said softly. Nami turned and made eye contact with Roxas and smiled weakly before looking beyond the river to where somewhere Roxas couldn't see.

"Well, a few years ago I was with someone, this boy. He was so nice, he was two years older than me and I was so excited to be dating the hottest senior in school, as a tenth grader, you know? Things were great and everything, but it just changed after a few months. The love letters stopped, he wouldn't hold my hand anymore, I just didn't really exist, I guess. Anyway, I did something really stupid and I just wanted him to like me again so, I, uh, I don't really know how to say this." She paused and took a deep breath. "I took some...pictures...and sent them to him. He repaid me by showing his entire team and dumping me. I haven't heard from him since. It was a long time ago, but everyone back home knows. Small town, word spread fast. And pictures too I guess," she finished quietly.

Roxas stayed silent for some moments. Knowing Naminé, she didn't seem the type to try so hard for a jerk to like her, to compromise herself just for somebody else. But it was a long time ago, and people grow and change. The way she had to slowly and carefully speak showed how it haunted her, and Roxas could not judge anybody for that. Roxas moved his hand from Naminé's and ran his hand over the length of her braid.

"I'm sorry. You didn't deserve that. People suck," he consoled. Naminé looked at him and Roxas noticed for the first time her eyes were misted over. She brought her pale hand to his cheek and caressed it lightly with the back of her hand.

"Thank you. I honestly wasn't planning on telling anywhere here that b-because I want to forget about it. But I trust you a lot for some reason, I knew I could tell you. I felt like you would understand," she replied. Roxas smiled and shrugged.

"I appreciate that. Everybody has their own baggage, people that have a little bit more tend to find each other."

"What's your baggage then?" Naminé asked.

 _Oh. I wasn't expecting that._ Roxas had baggage, but doesn't everyone? Sharing wasn't exactly his strong suit either, and being on the spot made him more uncomfortable than it should have.

"You don't have to tell me, if you don't want to," she continued. Roxas didn't say anything for a moment and kept swinging and staring at the river, focusing on how the light shined off the ripples.

"I've had a normal, boring life. You know, nice parents and an older brother that everyone loves more. No idea what I'm doing with my life. Nothing unusual. No baggage," he said. He sighed and felt tension ease slightly in his shoulders. Honestly, he didn't even know where half of that came from.

Naminé snickered and said, "Yeah, no baggage, of course."

"I didn't mean to say half of that," Roxas replied. He didn't like being open, he didn't like sharing. He could be a good listener and friend whenever, but when it came to himself? Suffer in silence is his motto. Naminé shook her head and frowned deeply.

"You can tell me, Rox," she said sweetly. Roxas frowned and shook his head. For some reason a heavy weight had formed in his stomach, it dragged him down and his mood felt so suddenly sour.

"No. I don't want to talk about it," he said flatly. He felt her hand on his back, and instinctively he stiffened. _Why am I so upset?_ Normally he was elated by any contact she gave him, but now it was the opposite. He didn't want to be touched, and somehow that made him more angry.

"Why not?" she asked. Roxas shut his eyes tightly and ignored her. Something weird had clicked in him; he was self-sabotaging so hard right now but god damn he couldn't help it. What he wanted was to be alone, and he wanted to be able to tell Nami. But he couldn't. He didn't even know what his problem was, he already told her the basic outline of all the bullshit he kept locked up tight. Why couldn't he say anything?

"Because I don't want to, Naminé. I told you enough, and I don't want to talk about it anymore. Please leave it be," he pleaded. Now it was Naminé's turn to sit silently. The air felt thicker now, and the singing birds had moved elsewhere. The two blondes swung out of sync.

"I'm sorry. I wish you could tell me, but I won't push you."

"It's okay. I just don't talk about my feelings much, I don't like to. I'm sorry," Roxas said softly.

"Don't be," Naminé paused and checked her phone. "It's 1:30 now though, want to head back? I told Kai we could get lunch after her 1 o'clock class!" Naminé said, standing up. Roxas should have wanted to go with her, but what he really wanted to do right now was sit alone and calm down.

"I'm sorry, I think I want to stay here for a little bit, clear my head," Roxas said, not meeting Naminé's hopeful eyes. He didn't have to look at her to know she was disappointed.

"O-oh. Okay. Well, I'll see you later?" she asked while standing up from the swing. Roxas nodded.

"Yeah, after my class."

Naminé stalled for a second, then quickly kissed Roxas on the lips. It was almost like a jolt of electricity shot through his body, and his eyes snapped wide. He stared at Nami like he had never been kissed before, but then smiled lightly at her.

"Bye-bye, Rox!" Naminé called as she walked away from the blond boy.

Roxas didn't feel any better after she left, only worse. Roxas began to swing harder now, going higher and higher over the river. _What the fuck is wrong with me? Did I seriously just drive a girl away over_ _nothing?_ He felt so stupid, he felt like an asshole. His entire body was in fight or flight mode, and his throat was clenched so tight he didn't think he would ever be able to talk again. He knew he was a total asshole, but he couldn't control his mouth or emotions. God.

Roxas swung so fast and so high he didn't even notice the warm, angry, confused, pained tears running down his face. Even if he did, he wouldn't understand them.

* * *

 **uh HELLO people. Sorry this literally took ages, but college students out there will understand that struggle of having no time lol. At least I updated! I hope you enjoy this chapter, please R &R! It motivates me to actually write and improve hehe**

 **Catch me updating again in a few weeks probably hehe**


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